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Chelee · 01-05-2007, 11:11 PM

Angela, I did TCH also. As Sandy already mentioned I was quite constipated too. I tried everything and nothing worked for me except "Senokot". Once I got it going with the Senokot it was fine. So make sure you have something on hand just in case. I lost my hair about day 17 I believe. Slowly starting falling out, then in clumps. It easier to deal with if you just buzz it off before it starts falling out.

I think the worse thing for me was the aches & pains all over my body. Everything hurt. The 3rd day was always the worse as you probably know since you've done chemo before. With this combo it totally ruined my appetite! Nothing sounded, or tasted good. I had to force myself to eat little bits. I lost 37 pounds on TCH. Plus I would get this awful taste in my mouth and my teeth would feel like they had a thick yucky coating on them. (Lighly brushed teeth several times a day.) I had alot of acid reflux with anything I ate so I had to take Protonix for it. And as someone else mentioned here...water was AWFUL. I will have you know prior to my DX I don't drink anything but water. So it was strange to have water taste that BAD!! About my 4th or 5th trt it was almost impossible for me to drink plain water without adding something to it for taste. Plus I would chill it...that helped. I was afraid of getting too dehydrated so I drank "Power Aid" chilled. Now for some reason...that tasted GREAT!

I did get some discolored finger nails and toenails. Just the index & middle finger on each hand? (Strange?) They stayed black a long time then finally lifted off. Only the big toes got discolored. And as someone else mentioned the neuropathy does sneak up on you. I'm six months out from TCH and its pretty much went away. If you did cytoxan and AC I think you will do fine with the TCH. As to working while doing it...everyone is SO different. But I have heard of women working through their entire trt. I know of several that manage it. I know I couldn't of. Some of these women are TOUGH. I don't know how they do it? They amaze me.

If there is anything we left out that you wanted to know...just holler.

Chelee

01-05-2007, 11:11 PM	#6
Chelee Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern, CA Posts: 2,511	Angela, I did TCH also. As Sandy already mentioned I was quite constipated too. I tried everything and nothing worked for me except "Senokot". Once I got it going with the Senokot it was fine. So make sure you have something on hand just in case. I lost my hair about day 17 I believe. Slowly starting falling out, then in clumps. It easier to deal with if you just buzz it off before it starts falling out. I think the worse thing for me was the aches & pains all over my body. Everything hurt. The 3rd day was always the worse as you probably know since you've done chemo before. With this combo it totally ruined my appetite! Nothing sounded, or tasted good. I had to force myself to eat little bits. I lost 37 pounds on TCH. Plus I would get this awful taste in my mouth and my teeth would feel like they had a thick yucky coating on them. (Lighly brushed teeth several times a day.) I had alot of acid reflux with anything I ate so I had to take Protonix for it. And as someone else mentioned here...water was AWFUL. I will have you know prior to my DX I don't drink anything but water. So it was strange to have water taste that BAD!! About my 4th or 5th trt it was almost impossible for me to drink plain water without adding something to it for taste. Plus I would chill it...that helped. I was afraid of getting too dehydrated so I drank "Power Aid" chilled. Now for some reason...that tasted GREAT! I did get some discolored finger nails and toenails. Just the index & middle finger on each hand? (Strange?) They stayed black a long time then finally lifted off. Only the big toes got discolored. And as someone else mentioned the neuropathy does sneak up on you. I'm six months out from TCH and its pretty much went away. If you did cytoxan and AC I think you will do fine with the TCH. As to working while doing it...everyone is SO different. But I have heard of women working through their entire trt. I know of several that manage it. I know I couldn't of. Some of these women are TOUGH. I don't know how they do it? They amaze me. If there is anything we left out that you wanted to know...just holler. Chelee __________________ DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes. Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs. Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06 Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07 3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07 9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV. 9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa 9-29-09 Power Port Placement 10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head. 11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed 12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa. 3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed. 4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone. 5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy. Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time. 7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.